Pepper sprayed for public safety.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

It's puff. Exactly the kind of crap fanboys would trip over themselves to quote.

Beyond a certain point, all of this is moot, however, since the aim of the profile clearly wasn't to grill the president on policy or political philosophy so much as to illuminate something less tangible – what it is like, existentially, to do his job. Here, Lewis harvests some interesting stuff.

Yes.

I don't think I've ever made a secret of the fact that I like Obama personally. It certainly doesn't stop me from criticizing what he does. "Fanboy?" Get bent.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

It certainly doesn't stop me from criticizing what he does.

you. are. deluded.

[LessinSF]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

The shit that's going on today makes me wonder if maybe Slave's whole "clash of civilizations" thing was right. Crazy motherf's.

http://www.volokh.com/2012/09/14/the...e-video-riots/

[Gattigap]

Impressive, but a true photobomber remembers to turn and face the camera.

[Gattigap]

Among other things, Romney sees his ceiling at 53 percent, apparently.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Gattigap

Among other things, Romney sees his ceiling at 53 percent, apparently.

No one here but us liberals and Democrats promoting class warfare, huh?

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Gattigap

Among other things, Romney sees his ceiling at 53 percent, apparently.

I am so fucking ashamed of this state. We elected this joker Governor.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Gattigap

Among other things, Romney sees his ceiling at 53 percent, apparently.

What an arrogant douche.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Obama at the White House, watching the Romney video.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

I am so fucking ashamed of this state. We elected this joker Governor.

It's a gaffe trifecta!

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Obama at the White House, watching the Romney video.

Apparently that is a secret link.

Ty, you know better. Pull out the cell phone and record this stuff yourself.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

I am so fucking ashamed of this state. We elected this joker Governor.

I like the video, and I like the fact it was leaked. Romney was dead already, so it's of no consequence. What it might do, however, is fan debate on who is a ward of the state and who isn't.

From where I'm sitting, the 47 who pay no income tax are hardly the only free riders mooching from the govt. What about our defense industry? They couldn't compete in a real free market. Sans Uncle Sam's gifting these "capitalists" contracts for billions of dollars worth of things we don't need, they'd contract to half their current size. What about banks? Sure, they paid TARP back. But that doesn't change the fact that they're wards of the state. Absent govt intervention, they were dead. They are, in every literal sense, "losers"... "failures." What about the box checkers who work in govt and do pay taxes, but suck a form of white collar welfare from the system - providing little, if anything, of value, while enjoying a generous salary and benefits at taxpayer cost? What about the auto unions, and the management of the auto companies? Is there any better definition of TBTF? What of big pharma - Bush's Mecidare Part D beneficiary?

The argument our govt needs to shrink isn't a GOP or Democrat one. It's a logical one. Increasingly, our cash flow schematic looks like this: Mix of borrowed money and tax revenue > Government > Crony capitalists and entitlement recipients. The only people who aren't dependent on the govt consuming their products are consumer tech gadget makers and the entertainment industry. Everybody else is dependent to some extent on government money. And the government overpays for almost everything it purchases. It overextends with entitlements, it wastes money on things it'll never need. It gets large companies hooked on big revenue streams they'd never receive if they had to sell exclusively in the private sector. It gets the entitlement class hooked on money for nothing. And the recipients of this largesse in turn do everything they can to corrupt the political processes to ensure they continue to receive the easy money on which they're now dependent. Can we cut entitlements? Never. Nobody can run on that platform. Can we get govt contracting under control so we're only buying what we need, rather than subsidizing industries that should shrink? Good luck getting donations if you try that.

Romney's right: A big part of this country will vote for whoever gives them things. It includes tens of millions of useless entitlement junkies. It also includes 80% of our big business "capitalists."

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I like the video, and I like the fact it was leaked. Romney was dead already, so it's of no consequence. What it might do, however, is fan debate on who is a ward of the state and who isn't.

From where I'm sitting, the 47 who pay no income tax are hardly the only free riders mooching from the govt. What about our defense industry? They couldn't compete in a real free market. Sans Uncle Sam's gifting these "capitalists" contracts for billions of dollars worth of things we don't need, they'd contract to half their current size. What about banks? Sure, they paid TARP back. But that doesn't change the fact that they're wards of the state. Absent govt intervention, they were dead. They are, in every literal sense, "losers"... "failures." What about the box checkers who work in govt and do pay taxes, but suck a form of white collar welfare from the system - providing little, if anything, of value, while enjoying a generous salary and benefits at taxpayer cost? What about the auto unions, and the management of the auto companies? Is there any better definition of TBTF? What of big pharma - Bush's Mecidare Part D beneficiary?

The argument our govt needs to shrink isn't a GOP or Democrat one. It's a logical one. Increasingly, our cash flow schematic looks like this: Mix of borrowed money and tax revenue > Government > Crony capitalists and entitlement recipients. The only people who aren't dependent on the govt consuming their products are consumer tech gadget makers and the entertainment industry. Everybody else is dependent to some extent on government money. And the government overpays for almost everything it purchases. It overextends with entitlements, it wastes money on things it'll never need. It gets large companies hooked on big revenue streams they'd never receive if they had to sell exclusively in the private sector. It gets the entitlement class hooked on money for nothing. And the recipients of this largesse in turn do everything they can to corrupt the political processes to ensure they continue to receive the easy money on which they're now dependent. Can we cut entitlements? Never. Nobody can run on that platform. Can we get govt contracting under control so we're only buying what we need, rather than subsidizing industries that should shrink? Good luck getting donations if you try that.

Romney's right: A big part of this country will vote for whoever gives them things. It includes tens of millions of useless entitlement junkies. It also includes 80% of our big business "capitalists."

The downsizing you want may be of some of your wards of the state - Defense Contractor and Banks among them - rather than the state proper. Is it more important to you to see a bunch of teachers and firefighters fired, or a bunch of government contractors milking the defense/finance gravy train?

And you think the entertainment industry isn't dependent on the government? Can I show you a half-billion dollar stadium you and I helped build to host Rolling Stones concerts and football games? Or would you like to access some nice satelite services courtesy of government space agencies or perhaps some nice bandwith regulated by the FCC? And tech, of course, wouldn't be where it is without some government funding at Standford and MIT etc.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Hey, Hank, isn't there an episode where Gilligan gets rich and Mr. Howell is poor? Maybe Rich Gilligan is the better analogy?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

What an arrogant douche.

Romney is an arrogant douche, and he offered his criticism in a haughty manner. But even if he'd made the criticism tactfully, he'd be excoriated for it. Even when someone of far less means and advantages as Romney makes the criticism he's made, that person gets shredded.

There's a double standard at work. If I say I vote strictly based on taxes, it's okay to criticize me. But if say I vote strictly based on which politician will give me more benefits, I am beyond criticism.

These things seem identical. In both instances, a person is doing something solely for self gain. Both are simply acting rationally. The latter gets a pass because he's less fortunate, or has less power. There's an obvious but never discussed underdog handicapping at work.